Emanation of Pixels

The past week has been intense. Many things seem to be happening at the same time, which is often the case leading up to an art show. Many unexpected road blocks to navigate around. I find myself asking how serious am I about achieving this goal? Answer: pretty damn serious! I'm looking forward to showcasing the 365 Project this weekend as one body of work roadblocks be damned. I've got some exciting announcements to make, so stay tuned.

After completing my intensive texture edits from week 35 I felt directionless on how I would proceed with week 36. That old familiar now what question crops up, but this time a clear answer came to mind. I took a painting workshop during my trip to Santa Fe, NM with an incredible visionary artist Lauren Montecón. I find her style soothing, a visual delight of soft colors and imagery. As a person she was incredibly kind, inviting, and generous, actively listening and working to make this foreign stranger comfortable. The workshop was centered around meeting your inner guide, learning to trust your inner wisdom. Although the work was geared for painting, the lessons apply to all artistic mediums. What resonated in my head this week was to ask what the painting wants. Sit down and ask the question with an open mind. You'll be amazed at what results.

That's exactly what I did. I let memories swirl. One thought led to another until I was reminded of an idea I had for edits long ago. I've seen images where pixels are exploding out of a subject and thought it would be fun to incorporate that technique into the 365 Project. The initial vision doesn't always result and that, I am learning, is part of the process. I researched the technique, discovered square brushes, learned about bit depth, which allowed me to use some new filters that were 8-bit dependent (who knew!), and created some interesting edits for week 36. I even incorporated my custom textures from week 35 to spice it up.

The first edit was awkward, mainly because the desired outcome and the end product weren't matching up. I abandoned the desired outcome in favor of pure experimentation after that, and the results were much more pleasing to the eye. Perhaps if I had a simpler subject matter with a neutral background I could have come closer to my vision, but I have to say I like the way this week turned out. I discovered new filters such as tile, wind, and extrude, all of which are brimming with potential. Ultimately I was able to create interesting scenes starting with my original raw image to highlight the basis of all digital images - the almighty pixel.

#246 is an orange tree with one windswept pixel puffy cloud.

#247 is pure happenstance reminiscent of a logo for a design company.

#248 is pixels falling on pixels.

#249 is the tree of life, for pixels that is.

#250 is pixels spiraling into the vortex.

#251 is pixels breaking apart into the abyss.

#252 is an aerial view of a futuristic metropolis.

That concludes week 36. What did you like about this week's edits or process? Do you have a favorite or least favorite? What do you see when you look at each edit? I'd love to hear from you, so leave your feedback in the comments below. As always, thanks for following along!